Multi-cargo barge

ABSTRACT

A stackable lighter having a deck is provided with a main hatch having a cover and extending the entire length of the lighter along the centerline thereof. The hatch is of a width about onethird that of the lighter and opens to a hold having a length coextensive with the hatch and width equal to that of the lighter. On the deck at either side of the hatch are disposed a plurality of small hatches properly sized for grain loading equipment and provided with removable covers.

United States Patent [191 Keeney Sept. 18, 1973 MULTI-CARGO BARGE [75] Inventor: Cecil M. Keeney, New Orleans, La.

[73] Assignee: Equitable Equipment Company, Inc., New Orleans, La.

[22] Filed: Apr. 5, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 131,379

[52] US. Cl 114/73, 114/26, 114/201 R [51] Int. Cl 363i) 25/02 [58] Field of Search 114/72, 73, 78, 43.5,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,149,684 3/1939 MacGregor 114/201 R 3,179,079 4/1965 Kersteter et al. 114/201 R Primary Examiner-Milton Buchler Assistant Examiner-Barry L. Kelmachter Attorney-Cushman, Darby & Cushman 57] ABSTRACT A stackable lighter having a deck is provided with a main hatch having a cover and extending the entire length of the lighter along the centerline thereof. The hatch is of a width about one-third that of the lighter and opens to a hold having a length co-extensive with the hatch and width equal to that of the lighter. On the deck at either side of the hatch are disposed a plurality of small hatches properly sized for grain loading equipment and provided with removable covers.

2 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PAIENTEB 3. 759.208

W x q Q INVENTOR Q M ATTORN EYS PAIENTEB 3.759.208

sum 2 0r 3 m ATTORNEYS MULTI-CARGO BARGE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention pertains to cargo vessels and particularly, to lighters, which are vessels used in unloading and loading ships not docked at wharves, or in transporting freight about a harbor. More particularly, this invention pertains to lighters adapted to be stacked within the holds of specially designed ships.

2. Description of the Prior Art It has long been known in shallow harbors where ships cannot be docked at the wharves to unload the ships cargos into boats called lighters having a smaller draft than the ships and transporting these lighters to the wharves where they are, themselves, unloaded. Of course, the reverse of this process is employed in loading the ships.

While self-propelled boats may be used as lighters it has been found desirable to use non-self-propelled barges which are maneuvered by tugs. In recent times, some such lighters are designed to be stackable in the holds of ships specially designed for their reception.

Typically, these stackable barges have a length of about sixty-one feet six inches overall and a width of about thirty-one feet two inches overall. The forward and aft portions of the barges have short decks which define between them a hatch which has a width essentially equal to the width of the barge and a length of about fortyfour feet. Thus, the cargo loaded through the hatch cannot greatly exceed forty-four feet in length and certainly cannot approach the full length of the barge even though its hold typically extends the full length of the barge. This length limitation has become increasingly disadvantageous since a steadily increasing amount of steel products such as steel beams and steel plates are arriving in American seaports in standard lengths of approximately 60 feet. Obviously, such beams cannot be transported in the holds of known lighters having the above construction and dimensions.

Of course, one solution to this problem would be to increase the length of the lighter but, besides the additional fabrication costs which this solution would entail, there would also be problems in accommodating these longer barges with equipment generally used to handle barges of standard length. This handling problem is especially serious in stackable lighters. Longer lighters would probably not fit into such ships and thus any alterations to the lighters must take place within the framework of fixed outer dimensions.

A separate problem encountered by the known lighters is that they typically have only one hold, which is reached through only one large hatch. Thus, if it is desired to transport bulk material, such as grain, powder, or the like, which require only a small loading opening, the cover for the large hatch must, nevertheless, be removed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the disadvantages of the prior art lighters described above, it is one object of the present invention to supply a lighter having external dimensions equal to the external dimensions of conventional stackable lighters but which has a main hatch and hold capable of receiving steel beams or the like of standard length.

It is another object of the invention to provide a lighter into and from which grain or like bulk cargo can be loaded and unloaded without removal of the large main hatch cover.

The above and other objects are accomplished by a lighter which has a hatch extending along the centerline of the lighter, substantially co-extensive with its length, and providing access to a hold substantially coextensive with the interior dimensions of the lighter. Along either side of the hatch the deck has a plurality of small hatches, sized to accept grain handling equipment or the like, and having removable covers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a lighter embodying this invention with the hatches closed by their covers;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of a hatch fastener or dog shown at B in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the hatch fastener shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of a hatch guide shown at A in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the hatch guide shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of a hatch lifting lug as shown at E in FIG. 8; and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the lighter taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. I with the deck equipment on the right side not shown to better show the grain hatch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a lighter, generally indicated at 10, embodying this invention. The lighter 10 is of box-like metal construction and preferably sized to have a standard external length of about 61 feet 6 inches and a standard external width of about 31 feet 2 inches so as to be readily handled and accommodated in lighter-stowing ships of known construction. For this purpose the lighter is provided with four conventional lifting and stacking posts 12, one adjacent each corner and which project slightly above and below the deck 14 and bottom 16 of the lighter. Extending along the centerline of the deck 14 for substantially the entire length of the lighter, and substantially midway between the sides 18 thereof, is a generally rectangular main hatch 20 (FIG. 8), preferably equal in width to about one-third that of the lighter, e.g. a hatch having an opening 22 of the order of ten feet one inch in width. In an actual construction this hatch 20 provides an opening 22 of about 60 feet 3 inches in length so as to readily permit the loading into and unloading from an interior hold 24 (FIG. 8) of elongated objects (not shown) of the order of 60 feet in length, such as steel beams which come in standard sixty-foot lengths.

The lighter 10 preferably is provided with an appropriately reinforced inner bottom 26 and the hold 24 is substantially co-extensive with the interior dimensions of the lighter, i.e. The hold extends between the lighter sides 18 which are in the form of plates, and between the deck 1.4, which also is in the form of plates, and the inner bottom 26 substantially without obstruction except for the interior longitudinally spaced transverse frames 28 and 30. The frames 28 which reinforce the sides 18 and deck 14 consist of angle bars, while the frames 30, of which there are a lesser number than the frames 28, are of web like construction.

Disposed in the deck 14 along both sides of the central main hatch 20 are a number of small hatches 32, here shown as six in number and generally square in shape. These hatches 32 are sized to accommodate pneumatic grain loading and unloading equipment, i.e. hoses (not shown). Each hatch 32 is provided with a generally square reinforcing coaming 34 (H6. 8) welded to the deck 14 and surmounted by a sealing gasket 36. Each hatch 32 is provided with a cover 38 in the form of a metal plate provided with bolt holes alignable with corresponding drilled and tapped holes in the coaming 34 to receive hatch fastening bolts 40.

It will be noted that the number and arrangement of the small hatches 32 is such that the hold 24 can be substantially filled with bulk material, such as a grain without the necessity of manually distributing, i.e. by sweeping or shoveling, such material within the hold. it is important, in transporting readily flowable bulk material, such as grain, that the lighter hold 24 be substantially filled to prevent shifting of the cargo in rough water, with possible undue listing of the lighter. The multiplicity and uniform arrangement of the small hatches 32 makes such loading possible without manual assistance which would necessitate removal of the main hatch cover 42.

The cover 42 for the main hatch 20 preferably is formed in two generally rectangular panels 44 and 46 of generally identical construction having top plates 48 that are provided along each side, and at the ends adjacent the ends of the lighter, with depending rims 50 of generally rectangular tubing construction. The undersides of the panels 44 and 46 are provided with transverse angular stiffening bars 52. A downwardly facing channel 54 is secured to the underside of the rims 50 and has secured therein a downwardly protruding sealing gasket 56 which engages with the top surface of the deck about the coaming 58 of the main hatch 20, as best shown in FIGS. 3 through 7.

At their adjacent ends the two panels 44 and 46 of the main hatch cover 42 are provided with depending flanges 60 and 62 correspondingly inclined in the same direction toward one end of the cover 42, as shown in FIG. 2. The under surface of the overlying flange 60 is also provided with a transversely extending outwardly opening channel 64 having secured therein a sealing gasket 66 which protrudes therefrom into sealing gasket 66 which protrudes therefrom into sealing engagement with the upper side of the flange 62 when the hatch cover 42 is in its closed position.

Spaced along the sides of each main cover panel 44 and 46 are a number of hatch dogs B, three along each of the panels as shown herein, shown in detail in FIGS. 3 and 4. Each dog 8 is in the form of a bolt 68 having one end thereof pivotally secured to a U-shaped lug 70 welded to the deck 14 for swinging movement from a horizontal position resting on the deck to a vertical position where it is received in a slot in a U-shaped ing 71 secured to a depending plate 72 fastened to the side of the rim 50. It readily will be seen that the nut 73 on the end of the bolt, together with an appropriate washer, can be tightened, when the bolt is in its upright position, to securely retain the main hatch cover 42 in hatch closing position. In this connection it will be seen that the plates 72 engage the deck 14 of the lighter to support the weight of the main hatch cover 42 and prevent such weight from resting entirely upon the sealing gasket 56.

Appropriate hatch guides A are also provided along each side of each main cover panel 44 and 46, here shown as two in number along each side, to restrain each panel from transverse and longitudinal movement when in closed position. Each of these guides are in the form of an upright plate 74 welded to the deck 14 in spaced relation to the hatch coaming 58 and reinforced on its outer side by an appropriate chock 76 (FIGS. 5 and 6). A section of a half-round bar 78 is welded to the outer side of the rim 50 with its axis horizontal and in position to engage against the inner side of the guide plate 74 tp restrain the main hatch cover 42 against transverse movement. A section of an angle bar 80 has one end welded to the rim 50 to project outwardly therefrom and in position to have its apex engage against one end of the plate 74. Obviously the bars 80 at the opposite ends of each panel 44 and 46, are arranged to engage the opposite ends of corresponding plates 74 to thus prevent end movement of the panel 44 and 46 when in hatch closing position.

Preferably, each panel 44 and 46 is also provided along each side thereof, two along each side as shown in the drawings, with a hatch cover lifting lug E, each having an eye 82 for engagement by an appropriate lifting device to remove and replace the main hatch cover panels 44 and 46.

Preferably the deck is provided, adjacent each corner, with conventional equipment for maneuvering lighters, including cleats 84 and Blackburn winches 86.

What is claimed is:

1. A stackable box-like lighter of greater length than width having side walls, each walls, a bottom, and a substantially flat deck, said lighter having a substantially unobstructed hold substantially co-extensive with the entire interior of said lighter defined by said side walls, end walls, bottom and deck; a large hatch extending along the centerline of said deck and being of a length substantially equal to the length of said lighter and of a width of the order of one-third of the width of said lighter; a low coaming surrounding said hatch; a removable cover for said hatch provided with supporting means engageable with said deck; and sealing means carried by said cover engageable with said deck about the periphery of said hatch.

2. The lighter defined in claim 1 including a plurality of small hatches in the deck arranged along the sides of the large hatch and sized for use with pneumatic grain loading and unloading equipment, and removable covers for said small hatches.

* l 4' i i 

1. A stackable box-like lighter of greater length than width having side walls, each walls, a bottom, and a substantially flat deck, said lighter having a substantially unobstructed hold substantially co-extensive with the entire interior of said lighter defined by said side walls, end walls, bottom and deck; a large hatch extending along the centerline of said deck and being of a length substantially equal to the length of said lighter and of a width of the order of one-third of the width of said lighter; a low coaming surrounding said hatch; a removable cover for said hatch provided with supporting means engageable with said deck; and sealing means carried by said cover engageable with said deck about the periphery of said hatch.
 2. The lighter defined in claim 1 including a plurality of small hatches in the deck arranged along the sides of the large hatch and sized for use with pneumatic grain loading and unloading equipment, and removable covers for said small hatches. 